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PFR has McKelvin listed at 5'11" 190 so he's bigger than both McClain and Robinson. He's also from Waycross, GA so there's the sorta-local connection if that matters.

I've been looking at free agent linebackers also, specifically strongside in case TD just blows up our front seven and drops Nicholas (among others). The one I'm focused on is Philip Wheeler, who played at GA Tech and looked like the best player on the field when the Raiders came to town. Don't know how well he covers, but as far as a pass rusher and run stopper, he has been a difference maker.

Imo, grtting rid of Nicholas would be a good move. He is an injury liability and very inconsistent. Wheeler is also a pretty good name to bring up. If we are to switch defensive alignments, we will need pass rushers.

Imo, grtting rid of Nicholas would be a good move. He is an injury liability and very inconsistent. Wheeler is also a pretty good name to bring up. If we are to switch defensive alignments, we will need pass rushers.

Nicholas "only" makes $2.5M next season, but turns 30 in May. If they stick with the 4-3, getting Wheeler would open the door to use an early pick to draft a MLB like Kevin Minter. Younger LB core, and all 3 make plays in the backfield.

So let's say TD signs Wheeler (SLB), McKelvin (PR/CB), and Osi (LDE) -- none of whom should demand superstar money. Or if he wants to pay more for a younger pass rusher, get Michael Johnson or Michael Bennett instead of Osi.

(13-3) Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon: While the Falcons are smarting from a disappointing home loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship game, the genius and aggression they showed in trading up for Julio Jones has been proven. The team may need to make a similarly bold move on the defensive side of the ball to add a pass rusher. Jordan has struggled a bit with durability but his upside is through the roof. At this point in the draft Atlanta might see him as a steal and a potential replacement for the aging John Abraham

Dane Brugler on CBS has:

30. Atlanta Falcons

(13-3) Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford: Despite another productive season, future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez has said he will retire after this season so until we know otherwise, tight end is a big need for the Falcons this off-season. Ertz is a tough, reliable pass catcher who should be able to fill the shoes of Gonzalez

Gil Brandt of NFL.com has:

Pick No.
30 Kawann Short DTPurdueShort, a big, explosive guy who plays with good effort, could give the Falcons some much-needed defensive help.

Eric Galko of Optimum scouting has:

30. Atlanta Falcons – Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
The Falcons have delayed drafting Tony Gonzalez’s replacement, but with him likely on the way out and the team relying on that seam weapon in the passing game, drafting Ertz/Eifert seems like an easy choice for Atlanta.

A pretty cool site to also look at is http://www.drafttek.com/2013-NFL-Mock-Draft-Round1b.asp , it uses a computer model to simulate a 7-round 2013 NFL Mock Draft. Each team has an analyst who supplies data on 2013 NFL Draft team needs. The team needs are matched up against a list of 2013 NFL Draft prospect rankings (aka "Big Board") in order to generate each selection in our 2013 NFL Mock Draft. The CPU used the data and have ATL selecting:

Giovani Bernard
North Carolina
RB
The Atlanta Falcons are going to be in need of a new starting running back after they likely release Michael Turner. Turner is due a $6.9 million salary and hasn't shown that he is still worth that kind of money. Atlanta will need to replace him with someone who can hit the hole hard, burst through the second level with speed and also be able to catch the ball out of the backfield. Giovani Bernard is an explosive player as a rusher, receiver and can even add some much needed explosion on punts. His 6.67 yard rushing average, 10.43 yard receiving average and 16.44 yard returning average show his ability to consistently gain yards in chunks. In the Falcons offense, Bernard and his 5'10" 205 pound frame will be used by Dirk Koetter just like Maurice Jones-Drew was used in Jacksonville. By basing the Falcons rushing attack around Jacquizz Rodgers and Bernard, they will be able to have an effective rushing attack to join with their already top notch passing attack. - Scott Carasik, Atlanta Falcons Analyst

I am REALLY hoping Tony G comes back. I think we can get so much more value out of a 3-5 round pick of TE and spend the first few picks on DE/DT/MLB...

I think that the benefit of playing a 4-3 is that we should be able to draft a cover LB in as late as the 3rd or 4th. They aren't a very hot commodity because they typically have no place in a 3-4. The advantage of sticking to a 4-3 is that guys like Sean Weatherspoon will fall. Much like what would happen for Pittsburgh when they were one of a small handful of 3-4 teams.

“Speaking for myself and I believe I can also speak for Mike and our owner, we’re still agitated,’’ Dimitroff said.

I’ll just let Dimitroff continue from there.

“That’s a good thing because our expectations are high and we said that from the very beginning,’’ Dimitroff said. “I thought we developed in a lot of very good ways. We’re going to have to step back right now and, potentially, make some difficult decisions like every team does. We know that we have to figure out how to become that much more fundamentally sound and that much more sound roster-wise. We feel like we have a very good football team, but we still have to make some tweaks to get over the hump.’’

Jacoby Jones -- Jones earned a Pro Bowl berth for his kick-return prowess, but he's owed a combined $4 million in non-guaranteed salary and bonuses in 2013. The Ravens would certainly prefer to hold onto their special teams difference maker, but they may deem that price too steep.

I'm wondering if Blank and TD will return to their aggressive ways after seeing the results of letting Eric Weems leave last year, if they aren't truly sold on HD and Quizz as returners or simply want them to focus on their primary (expanded?) roles in next year's offense. For comparison, Weems got 3yrs/$4M from the Bears.

I've looked at several mocks and most of what I've seen went like this:
1. DE (Datone Jones, Montgomery(LSU), Margus Hunt(very interesting to me)
2. TE
3. RB (One had us possibly getting Lattimore here)
4. LB (every one had us picking up a speedy lb strictly for covering TE's)
4(compensatory). DT (Geathers was mentioned several times, 6'6, 330+)
5. OL
6. WR/Return specialist
7. OL/DL

I did see some that had us going TE or RB(Lacy) in the first round, but I honestly feel like we have to go defense with our first pick. There are TE's in free agency and some value picks later in the draft. TG's touches could be split between HD, Roddy, Julio, and Quizz/snelling and our offense could still be pretty explosive. Our D lost huge leads and put a lot of pressure on our offense. Geathers was mentioned a few times and they say he could be a huge bargain/steal in the draft. A healthy Lattimore could be a huge steal in the 3rd as well, but I'm not sure he'll last that long especially if he gets healthy.

And not to bombard with the posts, but I also expect us to cut Turner to free up the cap space. After the escalators, he's at $6.9 mil. I'd also prefer letting go(maybe trade for pick?) of Dunta to free up his money to either resign Grimes or go after Revis. Dunta is a better tackler than Grimes, but he leads with his head and is always at risk of removing himself from the game, and Grimes easily has him beat when it comes to coverage. I think a Samuel/Grimes secondary with McClain in the slot and Decoud/Moore at safety would be pretty stout. Draft some D line and LB help to get that pass rush going and that's a solid D.